School Spearmaster
by EmeraldOrpheus
Summary: Diarmuid finds himself in a new world with virtually no memory. How will he fare in Beacon Academy?
1. Chapter 1

He woke with a start. A cool wind brushed against his prone form. "Where...where am I?" he thought as he opened his eyes. He rubbed his head, black and spiky hair waving in the breeze. Wherever he was, it was cold. The young man got up and looked around, trying to get a grasp on his surroundings. It was light out, and sunlight was bursting through the trees, bathing the the area around him in a soft green light, filtering through the leaves like they were a million panes of stained glass.

"At the very least, I do not appear to be in any immediate danger," he said as he tried to collect his thoughts. "I really must have hit my head rather hard. I can't seem to remember much about what was happening before I woke up." He grimaced. "I wonder what I'm doing here." He looked to his right, and saw two spears wrapped almost entirely in cloth lying next to him. He reached for them, only to see them apparently disappear from in front of him.

"I'm afraid not, my friend. I'm not sure how you managed to find this place, and even more confused as to how you apparently materialised in front, but whatever the answer is, I'm quite sure that trusting you with those spears is an unwise decision at this point," said a voice behind him. The young man turned around to see an older man in a suit and scarf, as well as some rather...strange glasses standing there. "I believe I deserve an explanation." he said."My name is Ozpin. Now, tell me who you are, how you got here, and why you materialised in my meditation cave," Ozpin said as he produced the spears he had swiped earlier and pointed one of them at his unwanted visitor.

"This is a cave? It must be rather large."

"Yes, quite. That is, however, irrelevant to the matter at hand."

The young man bowed. "Of course. Forgive me, it was never my wish to intrude upon you here, in what is obviously a very personal space. In all honesty, I have no idea where I am or how I got here. Apart from your name, I also know nothing of you. "

"Your story seems unlikely. I suppose you may have lost some memory when you came here. I would still like an explanation as to how you got here, although I believe asking you would be pointless at this point." He stopped to sip his coffee. "Although I find it likely that you have a teleportation semblance, given the nature of your arrival, even the most powerful manipulators of space alive can only move sevaral miles, and it is incredibly exhausting. Seeing as how this cave is quite far from civilization, you would have still had to travel many miles through the forest before teleporting yourself." Ozpin started pacing, obviously trying to figure out the conundrum in front of him. "This forest is infested with Grimm. I'm quite frankly astonished that someone as young as you survived out there. You must be quite skilled with these spears."

The young man grinned, his smile suddenly seeming almost feral, yet cunning at the same time. "I suppose I am." he said.

"Well, then, I suppose that for now we should head back. Although I suggest you come with me. I doubt the forest will be kind to someone with apparent memory loss." He started to walk away, then abruptly turned again, realizing he had forgotten something. "One more thing," he said. " I believe that earlier I asked for your name?"

The young man grinned that disarming smile again and bowed. "My name? A tentative subject matter indeed. Yet given your trust of me so far, I suppose it is only fair that I trust you as well. You may call me Diarmuid."

"A strange name, to be sure," Ozpin said. "Not that I'm not used to those." he added. Diarmuid game him a questioning look. Seeing it, Ozpin elaborated on his vague statement as he pressed several buttons on his scroll. "I am a professor at a school for young warriors. Many of them have very...unique...personalities, with names to match."

"A school for young warriors? I must say, this sounds quite interesting. Although the loss of my memory is quite severe, really, there's not much more I remember other than my name and my spears, I would be quite interested in seeing what such a place has to offer. I don't suppose you have any spear users that could use some help?"

Ozpin nearly spat out his coffee laughing. "Oh, you are a confident one! I don't think I could offer a job to someone your age, particularly without any resume, but you certainly look young enough to apply, although you would certainly be a couple years older than the rest of my first year students. They're all 17 or 18, by the way."

This felt wrong to Diarmuid. While he wasn't old by any means, he certainly felt older than that. WIthout his memory though, he really felt that it was probably the best option available to him. At least, a school would allow him a chance to get a clearer understanding of his surroundings. Perhaps someone at this school would even be able to help cure his memory loss.

"That sounds like an interesting proposition. While I'm rather confident that I am a far more dangerous warrior than you seem to believe, I'm sure that I will only prove that to you with my actions, rather than with my words...Professor."

Ozpin looked at Diarmuid questioningly. "You're really that certain you can pass the entrance exam? While the written portion is rather easy, less than 2 percent of my applicants make it past the combat part of the exam." He looked up at the sky, apparently waiting for something. "I shall give you your spears back when we arrive at Beacon. You're quite lucky, by the way. Entrance exams are being conducted as we speak. While your application will be rather late, I'm sure I can pull some strings to get you tested."

"I appreciate it, Professor. I assure you, you shall not be disappointed in my abilities." Diarmuid said. "Although, given my memory loss, perhaps I could skip the written part of the exam." Ozpin nodded at this. Diarmuid turned, hearing a noise approaching in the distance. Ozpin turned with him, looking to the sky.

"Oh yes, I believe that is our ride," Ozpin said. He grinned. "Ever ridden in a private jet?" he said as a jet approached and began to lower itself through the huge cave entrance to pick them up.

"I suppose I wouldn't know, now would I?" quipped Diarmuid. With that, he took a step onto the ramp that had been lowered down for them. Ozpin followed, and they were on their way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! So glad this story has gotten some positive feedback. I have waaaaay too much free time right now since I just finished high school and I'm waiting for military paperwork to come through, so expect frequent updates! This is my first fanfic, so I really appreciate any reviews. Seriously, any opinion is appreciated. (End of my ramblings)**

As Diarmuid stepped into Ozpin's private jet, his eyes took in various details, such as the posh leather seats and classy design. While aesthetically pleasing, the man obviously cared much more for his personal comfort in the machine rather than impressing any passengers. Not that they wouldn't be impressed by the man anyways. He was obviously very intelligent, possibly more so than himself, though Diarmuid. However, he also obviously had thought that Diarmuid was not nearly as skilled as with the spear as was the truth. Or, at least Diarmuid was pretty sure that he was much more than proficient. While it was hard to tell with his memory as elusive as ever, the many maneuvers he could run through his head with his spears led him to believe that he really was as good as he had told Ozpin.

"We will be taking off now. Please fasten your seatbelts, gentleman." said a woman's voice, presumably the pilot. Diarmuid was startled when the plane took off with what seemed to be far less sound then he had expected. It had been much louder outside the aircraft when it landed. He realized that while he certainly tried to hide it behind his disarming personality, Ozpin was obviously a very powerful man, and had the money to not only own a private jet, it was installed with the latest in sound insulation technology. He might have lost his memory, but he was pretty sure that modifications like that didn't come with most aircraft. In fact, it seemed to him that he had almost certainly ridden in several aircraft prior to this, and while he couldn't quite force them to surface above the fog that had seemed to settle on his mind, he was certain that none of them had been so well made.

He stood up. "I don't suppose you have a place to sleep in here?" he asked Ozpin.

"I do, actually. Two rooms down. It's only 20 minutes to Beacon. Are you sure you wouldn't rather play a game of chess with me instead?" Ozpin gestured to a chessboard, already set up for a game.

Diarmuid thought. He was rather tired, but 20 minutes would hardly be enough to fall asleep in the first place. He sat down at the chessboard. Ozpin took a seat opposite of him. "I suppose a quick game couldn't hurt." said Diarmuid.

"Thank you. I always appreciate a good game. I do hope you are a more challenging opponent than most of my students."

"Few present a challenge, then?" said Diarmuid as he took the first move, moving a pawn forward to allow passage for his bishop.

"I'm afraid not. None have bested me, but a one of them drops in every Tuesday, usually gives me a good run for my money."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"Trying to pump me for information on your classmates already?" Ozpin chuckled as he moved one of his pawns as well. Diarmuid grinned as he moved his knight.

"Surely not. I am simply making sure that I have some knowledge of the type of students that you would spend so much time with, just to play a simple game. They must be quite interesting."

Ozpin chuckled. They had both moved several more times as they talked, and he felt that it was now time to go on the offensive. His queen swooped out from behind cover to take the first piece of the game. Diarmuid's bishop was thrown to the side.

"Well, if you'd like to know, her name is Velvet. Lovely little bunny faunus, smart as a whip. I have high hopes for her."

"Interesting. Also, do you really think it was wise to put your queen into the open so early in the game?"

"Considering your personality? Quite so."Ozpin replied. Diarmuid frowned at this. He had been expecting bravado, but certainly nothing like that. He moved his knight again, putting it into position to trap the queen.

A few moves later, and Diarmuid indeed had forced the queen into a position from which she would be unable to partake in the vicious battle before her.

"Now, what shall you do next, dear Professor?" He tilted his chair back, leaning it against the wall.

"Check." Ozpin said. An almost invisible smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Diarmuid looked at his options. He suddenly realized how he had been set up. While his knight had Ozpin's queen pinned, it was now able to take the bishop that had put him in check. But by doing so, he would release the queen to end the game.

He moved his king. Ozpin laughed and took his rook. "At least you didn't let me end the game then and there. Some people would have, you know. I must say, the way you play the game is quite refreshing." he said.

"How so?" asked Diarmuid.

"Most people believe that the rooks and queen are the most powerful pieces in the game. For some reason, you seem to believe that the knights are. You use them like scalpels, cutting holes in my defense, it's really quite invigorating."

"I'm glad to hear it, professor." Diarmuid said. He moved his knight again, preparing to take Ozpin's queen and start the endgame.

"However." Ozpin's eyes grew dark and a sinister smile appeared on his face. "If a knight is away from the castle, how can it protect it's king? He might as well kill the king himself."

Diarmuid punched Ozpin in the face. He looked at his hands. They were shaking with sudden rage. He looked at the chessboard. The pieces had been scattered everywhere. Ozpin simply sat there. His aura had deflected the blow, but he was shaken by Diarmuid's sudden lack of control.

"I'm sorry, Diarmuid, did I say something to offend you?" he said. "Please forgive me." He rose and bowed slightly to Diarmuid.

"No, I'm sorry, professor. I-it's not your fault." Diarmuid said. He got up. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll go lie down for the last few minutes. He proceeded to practically run to the bedroom.

He could feel the memories surfacing, memories of love and loss and betrayal. They weren't very clear yet. The ones from his past were definitely becoming much clearer, however. He grabbed his head. It hurt so much. He remembered most of it now. How he had betrayed his king. His friend. He claimed it was for love, but really it was love that he turned tail on that day, the love that only the closest of brothers will ever feel. Tears leaked from his eyes as he relived that past in all of it's horrifying detail.

And then he remembered dying. It had been horrible. But it was so confusing, at the same time, because he could still feel that he had somehow lived afterwards. More memories were buried there, just beneath the surface, ones of a life after death.

Diarmuid slowly breathed in and out. He was truly unsure as to what situation he was really in, especially now. If he had died, was this the afterlife? He didn't think so. Everything he had seen about this world screamed that, while it was far cry from hell, it most certainly wasn't heaven either. But he knew now, at least, who he was. The worst person he knew. The most despicable being in existence.

He walked back out, to see Ozpin looking at him with a rather puzzled expression on his face. The chessboard, to Diarmuid's surprise, was set up exactly how it had been before his outburst.

"Please forgive me, Ozpin. Your words stirred my memories, and not all of them were pleasant. I do hope we can finish our game without further violence." Diarmuid said. He sat down at the chessboard once more.

"Ah. I suppose that having ones memories come back can do that to someone," said Ozpin. "I don't suppose that you would consider telling me what specifically caused you to hit me in the face? I would like to avoid that in the future, if at all possible." Ozpin moved his bishop. "Check, by the way."

"I would rather not discuss the matter. However, I am quite surprised that I didn't knock you out. Some men would have been out for days from my punch. I really didn't hold back anything, and here you are, with not a scratch." Diarmuid said, rather puzzled.

Ozpin was equally puzzled. "My aura stopped the blow. It seems your memories are not quite as recovered as you think."

"I think you are wrong, Professor. But then again, I am no healer. However, given my lack of knowledge on this aura, could you perhaps enlighten me?" Diarmuid said as he moved his rook, taking out the bishop that had placed him in check.

"Hmmm...while I could go on for hours about the properties of aura, I am afraid we do not have the time, so I shall give you the shortest version I can. It acts like an easily manipulated force field formed around our bodies and powered by our souls. It also allows those of us trained to use it to develop Semblances, special abilities powered mostly by aura, although some require physical action as well, while still others are a mental art."

"Quite interesting, indeed. I am quite sure I have never heard of it." said Diarmuid.

"Then I am afraid that you must have been living in those woods your whole life, my friend." Ozpin said. He paused, apparently thinking about something. "Perhaps...Would you allow me to see if you, perhaps, have activated your aura?"

"I suppose." said Diarmuid. After these words of consent, Ozpin placed his hands on the sides of Diarmuid's head. After a few seconds, he removed them. "It seems that your aura has been activated, but not in the normal way." Seeing Diarmuid's look of confusion, he elaborated. "Normally aura is activated through the use of anothers aura, as well as a phrase to enhance certain natural abilities. Both the phrase and the aura of the person activating the other's aura can change how that aura is formed. But in your case, your aura seems to have activated naturally." Ozpin frowned. "This is a very rare occurence. Not in the positive sense, I'm afraid. It means that you have abnormally low levels of aura. Several strong strokes would suffice to lower it into the red. The only positive attribute to a naturally activated aura is that it recovers much more quickly. Very useful after a battle, but given the low level of aura, most certainly not worth it, particularly since it still can not regenerate fast enough to help you in battle. Your semblance, if it is indeed teleportation, is quite powerful for such a weak aura, I might add."

"I have no semblance as of yet. I am quite sure of that." Diarmuid said. Ozpin looked at him, puzzled by the enigma that was Diarmuid once again.

"If that's the case, I wonder how exactly you managed to materialise in front of me."

"I'm afraid that I have no answer for you, professor." said Diarmuid.

"Indeed," answered Ozpin. "I believe that I can answer one question, however."

"And what would that be?" asked Diarmuid, his curiosity aroused.

"The winner of the chess game, of course." Ozpin moved a pawn into the final space on the board and turned it into a queen. "Checkmate." Diarmuid looked over the board, astonished.

"I certainly didn't see _that_ coming," he muttered.

"You were far too focused on the pieces that you believed held the greatest threat to you. Sometimes, however, victory is in a simple soul, not in the roaring of the mighty queen or the blade of the knight." Ozpin stood up and handed Diarmuid his spears. "We're here, by the way. I've already called someone to take you to the sparring arena for your combat exam. I did cancel the written exam, although with the return of your memory, I suppose that was a mistake." He chuckled. "The combat part of the exam is far more important anyways." He stopped to sip his coffee. "I'll see you at the arena. I'm quite interested in seeing what you can do with those spears of yours. I was looking at the design, and they seem incredibly simple compared to most weapons these days, but quite deadly in the hands of a master all the same, I am sure."

"Then I shall take my leave, Professor." Diarmuid grinned, his confidence skyrocketing with the return of his spears. He exited the aircraft and saw a large asian boy with a huge sword strapped to his back. The boy stopped him and said, rather moodily,"My name is Yatsuhashi. Ozpin asked me to take you to the arena. Please follow me." He turned and started walking quickly away from the aircraft.

Diarmuid grinned and followed.

 **And that is it for chapter 2! Some memories back, although his role in the holy grail war is still hazy, and a fantastic game of chess. I hope you guys liked it! Orpheus out!**


	3. Chapter 3

Diarmuid looked around him as he followed Yatsuhashi to the arena. Everything around him was a masterfully sculpted tribute to Beacon's power and prestige. Obviously, Professor Ozpin had not been at the architectural planning meeting. Diarmuid liked the school, though. It might have been a bit garish for him, but it felt like it was bursting with life. Everywhere he looked he saw students. He turned a corner as he followed the burly asian student in front of him.

And the world ended. At, least, it felt like it. Next thing he knew, he was flat on his back with a regal looking girl laying on top of him, looking even more dazed than he was. "Sorry about that," she said is she got up and offered him her hand. "I'm late for my exam, I'll make this up to you later, though, I promise!" she called out to him as she took off running again. She was wearing armor, he noticed, and was quite beautiful with her red hair trailing behind her. Not that it mattered at the moment, but he filed down everything he noticed about her in the back of his mind, such as her well-made shield and interesting looking spear. Diarmuid was particularly interested in that. He had always enjoyed training with other lancers. He sincerely hoped that the other students at this school would be up to his snuff. If they weren't, he would have to find some other way to train.

"Well, she was certainly interesting." Diarmuid said. "If you pass your exams, you'll be seeing a lot more of her," replied Yatsuhashi. "She's considered a prodigy. I'm sure you already know that, though."

"No, I'm afraid not. I've apparently been living under a rock. Please, elaborate." asked Diarmuid politely. Yatsuhashi looked at him with a rather puzzled expression."You really must live under a rock. That was Pyrrha Nikos." Diarmuid tilted his head, a questioning expression still on his face. "She's won more tournaments than I can count. She's beaten students three years above her. In fact, I don't think she's ever lost a fight to anyone less than a full-fledged hunter or huntress."

Diarmuid grinned. "How interesting. I will certainly look forward to testing her." Yatsuhashi raised an eyebrow at this. " _You_ test _her_? I think you'll find the tables turned on you faster than you might think." He stopped walking. "We're here, by the way. Good luck with your exam." He shook Diarmuid's hand. "Thanks." said Diarmuid. "I don't believe I shall need it."

With that cocky statement, he opened the door and walked in. He was greeted by a women with what looked like a riding crop and clipboard. "Name?" she asked, still looking at her clipboard.

"Diarmuid. A pleasure, madam, to meet you. And you are?" he asked. She still hadn't looked up from her clipboard. "Glynda Goodwitch. I will be assessing you momentarily. There is one student set to go before you. After she has been assessed, please go down to the pit. We will then begin your exam." she said, finally looking up from her clipboard, pushing her glasses up with one finger as she did so.

And she froze. Then she blushed, looking slightly away, her confident demeanor suddenly shattered. Diarmuid sighed. He looked to his right and saw a piece of tape lying where she had apparently put it earlier. He took a piece and stuck it over the mole on his right cheek. She shook her head, apparently slightly confused, and continued talking. "I-I'm sorry. I'm not sure what just came over me. Anyways, please take a seat in the stands with the other prospective students. I'm sure you'll all enjoy the show. As soon as the next examinee actually shows up, that is." she said crankily.

As if on cue, the girl that had run over Diarmuid earlier burst into the arena, apparently out of breath. Diarmuid wondered how she had arrived after him. "I'm here! I'm so sorry, Professor Goodwitch, I needed to fix my weapon a little in the changing room, and my plane was late." she said, still breathing hard, having seemingly sprinted from the changing room to the arena. Professor Goodwitch made her way down the stairs to the arena. "It's fine, Miss Nikos. Now, please prepare yourself. The nature of your exam here is purely to assess your combat potential. As such, you will fight me until either your aura or mine has gone into the red." She smiled suddenly. Her smile was just a little bit crazy. Diarmuid shuddered. Her smile, however, disappeared as quickly as it had come."Please realize, you do not have to beat me to be accepted. You simply have to live up to the standards of Beacon Academy. While still an difficult proposition, it is much easier than defeating me. If you do manage to lower my aura into the red, you will be accepted without further thought." She smiled again."Please touch the pillar to your left. It will gauge and determine the level of your aura." Pyrrha touched the pillar, and a green bar appeared on one of the screens above the arena.

"Very good Miss Nikos. We shall begin momentarily." The professor touched the pillar as well. Her bar also appeared. Surprisingly, it was only at about 75%. While this was happening, Diarmuid made his way through the seats and sat next to a girl dressed in black and white, hoping that show would be as enjoyable as he thought it would be.

"Begin." said the professor. Pyrrha ran at her. Diarmuid raised an eyebrow as he saw her spear transform into a rifle, from which she fired several shots at the professor. Not a single shot got through the professors formidable defense, which appeared to be several magical constructs made by slight motions of her riding crop, all of which intercepted the bullets coming at her with minimal effort. In fact, Diarmuid was rather sure that the professor didn't bother to actually _stop_ any of the shots coming at her. Rather, she merely deflected them just enough so that they didn't hit her. Diarmuid was impressed. Stopping the bullets entirely would likely have taken much more energy. This professor was smart, and seemed like a very efficient fighter, not wasting a moment as she wove her weapon in a complex pattern. The ground beneath Pyrrha's feet broke apart and thrust upward, throwing the girl high into the air. Her aura dropped by about five percent. Pyrrha recovered quickly, however, quickly transforming her rifle into a spear and throwing it at her opponent. Professor Goodwitch dodged it with an acrobatic flip, and moved her weapon yet again as Pyrrha pushed herself off a nearby pillar and flung herself at the professor with her shield in front. Diarmuid thought her tactics interesting. She was obviously trying to tempt her opponent into a full on attack. Why, he wasn't entirely sure. It seemed unwise with the loss of her weapon.

It seemed Glynda was somewhat confused as well, but she did not allow the unexpected move to take her off guard. She lifted the ground in front of her and sent a barrage at Pyrrha, knocking her off course. She flew past Glynda, not even bothering to attempt a strike after being thrown off course again. Her aura dropped by another ten percent or so. However, Diarmuid now saw what she had accomplished. By using the professor's attack to change her direction, she had been able to land next to her spear, and was now directly behind her opponent. It had all been a clever ruse to flank her opponent. She grabbed her spear, not transforming it this time. Diarmuid leaned forward in his seat, anticipating the next few moves. Glynda managed to turn around in time to block Pyrrha's first strike with her riding crop, but Pyrrha followed up with two other blows aimed at her neck and torso. Glynda dodged the first blow, but it seemed like the second blow was going to connect and cause some serious damage. Diarmuid was very surprised when the professor dropped her weapon to grab Pyrrha's hand as it swung toward her, completely stopping the girl's momentum. She then twisted and threw her several feet above her. While grabbing Pyrrha's wrist, she had just stopped the blow, instead of redirecting the force like she had done with every other attack the girl had thrown it her. It had taken about 3% of her aura. Not much, but Diarmuid could tell that this course of action had been Glynda's back up plan rather than her initial strategy.

After she threw Pyrrha up in the air, she quickly grabbed her riding crop from the ground and moved it around again. Several runes appeared around Pyrrha's twisting form, holding her in place. Just before they sealed her in place, she threw her shield. It missed Glynda entirely, going behind her. Glynda narrowed her eyes as she made the ground swirl up from various directions and hit Pyrrha repeatedly in vital spots. Pyrrha's aura dropped into the red almost immediately. Glynda dropped her.

"That's the ma-" she stopped as she was interrupted by a clang. The shield had hit the wall behind her and bounced off. It was far too late for her to stop it. It hit her square in the chest, knocking her back and shearing off a full ten percent of her aura.

Glynda got up, wheezing a little. "As I was saying, Miss Nikos, that's the match. I must say, you did very well. No examinee has ever managed to take out 13 percent of my aura. You certainly live up to your reputation. I assure you, you will receive your letter of acceptance tomorrow. That last move of yours was particularly clever." She added.

"Thank you Professor. I look forward to moving in." Pyrrha bowed. Hearing clapping, she looked out at the crowd, where Diarmuid was lazily making his way down to the arena, clapping slowly all the while. The other students turned to look at him. He grabbed his spears off of their sheaths on his back and jumped down into the arena, vaulting over the side. "That was fun!" he said. He smiled. His smile was dangerous. It reminded Pyrrha of the look a wolf makes just before it leaps in for the kill. She shuddered a little and took a step back.

"I would have preferred if you had waited for Miss Nikos to exit the ring before entering, Di-...How do you pronounce this again?" she asked.

"Diarmuid." He bowed. "I'm quite sorry I didn't follow the rules, I just wanted to shake Miss Nikos' hand." He reached his hand out to her. She sighed, obviously thinking he was another fan, and reached out her hand to him. He pulled her in suddenly. "Now let me show you how to _really_ use a spear." He whispered. She raised and eyebrow at his lack of manners and walked out of the arena as quickly as she could without seeming rude.

"Very well, Diarmuid, you have had your chance to say hello to Miss Nikos. Now, please touch the pillar and prepare yourself." She assumed her combat pose. He put his hand on the pillar. As his aura appeared on the screen, many of the students began whispering to themselves. While it was technically considered at the green, at 100 percent, it was obvious that it was a fifth the size of a normal aura. For most people, having aura that low would have meant that they were already nearly in the red. One boy in the crowd actually had the audacity to laugh and comment on what seemed like a poor excuse for an applicant.

"I'm surprised they even let you apply, with aura that low! What, you have a death wish or something, pretty boy?" he said mockingly. Glynda's eyes narrowed. "I will ask that you hold off on your derogatory comments, Mr. Winchester. Your turn is coming soo-" she said, only to be interrupted by Diarmuid.

"It's quite all right, Professor. I'll deal with the fool later." He spun his spears around in a complex and flashy maneuver. "As for right now, I have a professor to defeat."

"A lofty goal, indeed," she said. Glynda smiled, beginning to circle her opponent. She liked this young man, and his cocky attitude. Actually, she felt that cocky was the wrong word. No, this student was _confident_. "Do you really think you can live up to it?" she said.

"Begin!" she yelled. Diarmuid didn't move, other than slightly bending his knees and grinning. Glynda, on the other hand, didn't waste a moment beginning her offensive. As she spun her weapon in a web of light and magic, three circles of runes appeared around Diarmuid and shot rays of light from circles of light situated in predictable spots around the circles. Just before the first ray hit him, he spun. A simple pivot. He really didn't have to try to avoid the first shot. As the other shots came at him, he jumped and spun over them, and brought his red spear around in a sweeping arc. It hit the first circle. It shattered like glass, and he landed in a storm of shattered magic. It dissipated around him like a million panes of shattered windows rising towards the heaven. He hadn't taken a single hit.

Professor Goodwitch frowned. She hadn't expected him to avoid so much fire so easily. She moved her hand in a simple maneuver, deciding to make it a bit more difficult for the examinee. The rings of magic disappeared, but the circles from which she was firing her magic remained. They began rotating in a complex three dimensional pattern, weaving in and out from one another as they began firing at Diarmuid once again. Now he would have to avoid the shots from every direction and take them out one at a time rather than take out a third of them at once again.

Diarmuid eyes widened. He flipped and spun again and again. While avoiding the blasts of energy or intercepting them with his spears was hard in and of itself before, now it was much worse. He looked at the circles of light moving around him as he continued to dodge every bolt. If he wanted to win this battle, he couldn't take a single direct hit from one of them, he was quite sure, even if it would give him the opening he needed. It took him a full fifteen seconds of observing the circles to determine how they were moving. Thankfully, it wasn't random. Rather, they were circling in predictable ellipses. Another few seconds, and he was able to see the flaw in the design of the circle of magic he was trapped in. If he waited a couple more seconds, he could...there! He jumped over one ray, twisted himself under the next, and brought his red spear around in an arc. Three circles disappeared. Fifteen remained. He jumped again, and flipped over another shot of light. This time, when he jumped, his spears spun around him in a dizzying glare of light. Glynda was frowning now, trying to keep her circle of death intact. Suddenly, though, it was gone, shattered into a million pieces and swept away like chaff on the wind. Diarmuid landed again, smiling. He still hadn't taken a single hit.

"For pete's sake." she muttered. She raised her hand, and the ground underneath Diarmuid erupted, just like it had with Pyrrha. He laughed, and she realized, far too late, that she had made a mistake. He jumped with the eruption, using it to his advantage to propel himself upward. He raised his yellow spear and threw it at her, bracing himself against a pillar directly afterwards and springing towards her. Glynda crossed her arms and blocked the yellow spear with her aura. It was thrown far too fast and with too much precision for her to deflect it, however, so it simply stopped, hitting her aura and taking her down a full seven percent. She was, for the first time in a long while, in yellow, although the contributions of the many students before him were of course also to blame. He followed close behind his spear, landing in front of her and grabbing it before it could hit the ground.

Then he began to truly go on the offensive. Glynda had a difficult time keeping up with him. For every move she blocked, he had another right up his sleeve. She had to block most of them, as he whittled her aura down by fractions of a percent with each blow. It wasn't much, but it was enough for her to realize that this couldn't go on for much longer. She had to make a decisive move. As she deflected one blow from Diarmuid's yellow spear with her riding crop, she swiftly cast a glyph behind him. He twisted to dodge the inevitable ray of light.

Instead, it exploded. Diarmuid's aura begin falling quickly. It was obviously going to go into the red. She sighed with relief.

And then she saw him smile. Rather than avoiding the ray she thought she could trick him into believing existed, he had merely twisted to allow him to jump closer to the rune. It hit him with the full brunt of the explosion. Precisely as he had wanted it too. It thrust him forward at speeds rivaling that of the girl wielding a scythe that she had fought earlier.

And he stabbed her directly in the throat with his red spear. It knocked her down, and she lay on the floor, eyes wide with fear. Her aura dropped to zero. She felt the point digging into her throat.

"Yield to me." he said. The tone of his voice brooked no argument. She looked at him and saw that the piece of tape he had put on his face earlier had fallen off during the fight. Now he stood over her, like a mighty conqueror. She gulped.

And then she started laughing. "I yield! I most certainly yield!" she said, smiling with something other than ferocious intent for the first time in years. He lifted his spear from her throat and helped her up. "That was indeed masterfully done. I look forward to seeing you in class, if you even bother attending." She laughed again. "Please, feel free to duel with me anytime. That was the first fight I've truly enjoyed in years." She curtsied. Diarmuid bowed in return. "Of course, fair lady. How could I ever ignore a request from one as beautiful as yourself?"

The students in the stands were gaping. First this student _beat_ the examiner, and now he had the audacity to actually flirt with one of the most dangerous huntresses in Remnant?!

"Wha-bu-What the hell? Are you freaking _kidding_ me?" muttered Cardin. "That was insane!"

Pyrrha, who had returned to the stands to watch the fight, actually taking the seat Diarmuid had left open, had her mouth wide open. The girl in black and white looked at her.

"Wait...are you _drooling_?" she said.

"What? No!" Pyrrha answered."I just really like his...spears?" she said unconvincingly. "Yeah, I bet you do." said the girl as she smirked. Pyrrha sighed in relief. She had bought it.

"Bet you're wondering exactly how he could use those spears on you, huh?" The girl in black smirked again as Pyrrha went bright red.

Meanwhile, down in the arena, Diarmuid winked at Glynda as he exited the arena. She giggled as he left before turning to the other students, serious as a post. "I'm afraid examinations will be slightly delayed while I fetch another teacher to run the exams, as I am no longer fit to do so. Feel free to mingle for however long it takes." she said. She turned around smartly and exited the room. Then she started running to the office of Dr. Oobleck. Boy, was he going to be surprised to actually have to take his place as the secondary examiner for once. She couldn't wait to tell him about this new student. No, this new _prodigy._

 _Diarmuid._


	4. Chapter 4

Diarmuid grinned, looking at the acceptance letter in his hand. Glynda had given it to him only an hour after the exam had finished. He could have sworn he had heard her squee when she handed it to him. It had been a week since then. Ozpin had agreed to get him an apartment nearby until the beginning of the semester. Now, it was finally time. His first day at Beacon.

Nothing was really going to happen until the next day, of course. Just a commencement speech and then straight to the main hall for all first years until the next day, when they would be put into teams. Still, he was excited. In the week of waiting, he had devoted himself to learning everything he could about the world he was in. He was particularly interested to learn that the school he was intending was made for the purpose of killing monsters. It gave him a purpose in this new life. Not only that, but he had been reading up on the many tournaments that this world held frequently. While most of them were really too small-scale to draw his attention, he wanted to see what kinds of warriors this world had to offer. Until he had noticed an advert for the Vytal Festival in half a year, he had been considering joining some more underground tournaments and working his way to the top. But with the rather well-known Vytal Festival having a tournament primarily for students, he figured his chances of being noticed were a lot better there. While being famous wasn't particularly important to him, he figured that if he wanted to figure out exactly how he had gotten to this world and why he was here he needed to meet some important people. And the best way he could do that was by proving himself in the arena.

While he did feel the need to know why he had been brought into this world and how he had ended up here, he didn't really feel like going back home. He liked this world. It had so much more to do than his old world. It was brighter and full of fellow warriors to challenge, and enemies to defeat. Additionally, it seemed that humanity had bonded together in this world. While it was still rampant with political correctness and racism, most of humanity had the same goal, and they had formed alliances over it: defeat the grimm.

They thought the grimm were such a curse on this world. Diarmuid disagreed. Yes, they were evil, and yes, they needed to be hunted down like the bastard monsters they were. But they had helped create a world with a singular purpose. Humanity was not strife with betrayal and the lack of regard for others he was so used to seeing. Even the cruelest people in this world seemed mild compared to the evil he had seen back on Earth. Remnant was truly blessed, even if none of them were aware of the fact. The only faction he had seen eating away at this peace was the White Fang. They were obviously a rash on the skin of this world, one that needed to be cleansed.

Diarmuid stopped thinking as he arrived at the building in which the commencement speech was being given. He found a place in the crowd and waited for the speech to end. He didn't really bother listening to the speech. After all, he had fellow students to observe. He had been looking forward to this. Honestly, it was his favorite pastime. He loved to simply observe and judge the personalities of those around him, judging their worthiness. Over the years he had gotten very good at it.

He grinned as he started to scan the crowd, searching for people he could trust. People he would likely end up fighting. Boring people, exciting people, and he paid special attention to several people in particular. His gaze was particularly drawn to a girl dressed in white. She practically oozed with arrogance. But what really caught his interest was that she seemed so lonely. He had met arrogant people before. One in particular seemed to be trying to push through the veil of his memories after death. A man in golden armor? He decided it was better not to push it. It was giving him a migraine. Regardless, those who truly believed themselves superior to others usually didn't care what others thought of them. They lived alone, yes, but they enjoyed it. But he could see something different in this girl. She treated others as if they were far beneath her, but when they turned and left her behind because of it, he could see the desperate looks she would cast in their direction, as if she was saying,"Don't go. Please."

It was one of the most infuriating things he had ever seen. He hated her fake arrogance, obviously not a natural trait of hers, rather, something that seemed to have been forced into her personality. She needed serious help, or she would be silently miserable her entire life, hiding behind a shield of superiority.

As Ozpin finished his speech and the students began to walk towards the main hall, he made sure that he made his way towards her. When he caught up to her, he put a hand on her shoulder.

She almost jumped six feet, pulling out a rapier as she did so. "For Oum's sake!" she said as she saw him and relaxed, putting away her sword. "Don't do that! I could have hurt you!"

"I certainly hope so," Diarmuid said, bowing slightly. "Your reflexes are well trained, milady." She smirked at this, obviously enjoying the praise. "Finally, someone at this school shows the proper respect for a Schnee."

Diarmuid was slightly startled at this. He had read up on the Schnee family during his week of becoming accustomed to this world. They were incredibly powerful.

"Actually, I was completely uninformed as to your identity." She frowned slightly at this. He continued. "I assume you to be the youngest heiress to your most esteemed family, the angel of snow endowed with the nom de plume of Weiss?" He bowed much farther, just far enough that it was sarcastic without being mocking. She laughed.

"I'm not entirely sure I understand what you're saying, but yes, I am Weiss Schnee." She smiled again. She was obviously enjoying herself. "And you would be?"

"Diarmuid, first of the knights of Fianna, and local master of the spear." She giggled slightly at his bragging.

"Spearmaster? That sounds a bit long." Weiss put a finger to her chin thinking. "I think 'Lancer' would be a more fitting description, don't you?" She looked over at him, smiling.

Diarmuid had a sudden stab of pain shoot through his head when she said the word Lancer. He stumbled forward several more steps. He even managed a smile, before he collapsed at her feet, the pain becoming too much as he felt the memories trying to pierce through the veil. He tried to grasp at the memories before they slipped back underneath his conscious mind. He saw a woman, with a golden sword. A man with a million followers, leading a charge across a desert. That was all he could hold onto before the pain became too much for him to handle. He passed out.

Weiss freaked out. "Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod. Is he alright?! Someone get a medic over here!" she screamed. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she didn't like it. People didn't just pass out like that, especially hunters in training. A fellow student had come over by now. He pushed her out of the way. He felt Diarmuid's pulse, and frowned. "He's going into shock. Get a teacher, I'll watch him."

Diarmuid woke up a couple hours later. Weiss and the boy both breathed a sigh of relief. "Nice to meet you," said the boy. "Jaune Arc. You freaked everyone out pretty bad, you know."

Diarmuid grimaced, trying to get up. Jaune pushed him back down. "Nope. Sorry, buddy," he said, looking apologetic. "Nurse told us to make you lay down until she gets here if you wake up. Something about checking your blood flow." Diarmuid rolled his eyes and waited for Jaune to turn around befo"re getting up again and hopping out of the bed.

"Diarmuid! You know, I can't believe you," said Weiss. She turned away and crossed her arms. "You should really care more about yourself after doing passing out like that." Jaune on, the other hand, just sighed. "Too late to stop you now, I guess. Might as well head on down to the main hall if you're feeling better." They walked down towards the hall.

"So, snow angel, you on board for team Jaune tomorrow?" said Jaune, trying to act casual as he attempted, horribly, to flirt with the beautiful girl next to him. Weiss rolled her eyes. "Sure, why not."

"Really?" said Jaune. He had honestly not expected that reaction from her, considering how she had treated most of the other students.

As they arrived in the sleeping area, she turned towards him and crossed her arms. "The way I see it, you are a rather pathetic loser." Jaune's face fell. "But," she continued, and his face lit up again, "You did help with Diarmuid, after all. As irritating as you are, I guess you're slightly better than the rest of the people around here." She paused as a girl with a scythe walked by. "Some people in particular," she said, scowling.

"Well, great," Jaune said, beaming. "What about you, Diarmuid?" He said, turning to face Diarmuid. "It would be an honor," said Diarmuid. He liked Jaune. He reminded him a lot of the woman in his memory, the one with the golden sword. He wasn't sure why, but he knew that this was someone he could place his trust in.

"Well, then, I suppose we should go to sleep, now that we've got that settled." said Weiss. Diarmuid and Jaune agreed. It was far past time to get some rest. And so they went their separate ways for the night.

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, I've been super busy with job applications and the like. Got my diploma today!** **Anyways, long action chapter coming up next, so stay tuned. I'm going for about 10 thousand words in the next chapter, to cover the forest and everything that's gonna happen their. Also, I'm not going full harem route with this{except for when he pulls out the love spot XD) But I am going to have a couple pairings in this story, and some relationships that are completely platonic but are still very deep friendships regardless. Anyways, anyone want to guess who's going to get paired up in the forest tomorrow? *smirks***


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